Spit support for rotisseries



2 sHEETs SHEET l M. SCHEY. SPIT SUPPORT FOR RoTlssERrEs.

-F|LED OCT. 28, 1920,

d 1,5 &

Jam. 16, i923.

ATT HNEVS 5am i6, w23,

M, SCHEY, SPIT SUPPORT FOR RoTlssERlEs.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 FlLED OcT 28, 392O- JNVENTOR.

Patented dan. llggi.

MAX SCHEY, 0F BROOKLYN, NEVE YORK.

SPIT SUPPORT FOR ROTISSEBIES.

l Applicationlmed oetob'er 28,1920. serial SNO. 42m89.-

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, MAX SCHEY, a `citizen ofk the United States, residing at New York,

city, borough ot Brooklyn, in the countyof Kings and State of New York, have 1nvented a certainnew and useful Spit Support for Rotisseries, of which the tollowlng is a specification.

This invention relates to machines or apparatus for broiling meats or poultry which machines are generally known to the trade as rotisseries. In such machines as heretofore made, the spits are usually supported one above the other before the fire which may be a gas burner or a bed of-hot coals,

,and are adapted to be rotated so as to present ".all portions of the roasts tothe heat. Such spits are usually journalled for rotation in angle brackets rigidly -secured to the fra-me or in holes or slots formed in one of the uprights of the frame. In any event, the mounting of the spits is such that while they may be freely rotated, or removed from or i .replaced Ain the :Frame of the machine, their roasting position with reference to the fire is fixed and predetermined.

WV hen large roasts are positioned on the spits of this character, they extend much closer to the fire than relatively smaller roasts 'and are much more apt to burn than such smaller roasts which are positioned much furthe-r away from the sourcefof heat. Moreover, some meats require for proper roasting a relatively7 slow cooking, such as would ybe obtained if the roasts were further away from the fire, while other roasts require more rapid cooking, such as could be accomplished bypositioning them closer to the source of heat- This regulation of the heat in prior rotisseries has usually been accomplished by regulating the intensity of the fire by supplying more gas in a gas rotisserie or by running a hotter ire in a coal ro-tisseri'e.

Vith these considerations in mind, the object of the present invention is to pro vide a mounting for spits whereby they Amay be bodily shifted together with their rotating-f means in a position toward and away from the tire, so that the heat to which the roasts moved in unison and from a convenient point so far from the fire that the prime mover of Figure 1 of the drawing illustrates in per I spective the present invention associated with a rotisserie which, in the interest of clearness, is shown in phantom, and

Flgure 2 is a like view illustrating a modified form of spit drivingmeans.

In the accompanying drawings, A designates a rotisserie, the outlines of which are shown in phantom and B designates one of a plurality of spits to be used in conjunction with the rotisserie.' Any number of spits may be employed depending upon the capacity of the rotisseries, which, in practice, are made of diiterent numbers of spits and of different sizes.

In the carrying out of the present invention,v instead of mounting the spits rigidly von the' frame of the machine or on rigid 4onet shaped joints c adapted to'receive t spits so thatwhen the spits are brought into engagement with the slots c, they will be supported after the manner shown in the drawing in a. horizontal position before the iire and in such manner that they may be freely rotated. l

e The upper end of the bracket C is pivoted at d and the upper end of the bracket C is pivoted on a spindle d which also carries a gear D and asprocket E. The gear D land sprocket E are secured together for simultaneous rotation and when the former is driven by suitable mechanism, the latter is operated therewith to drive the sprocket chain e, which is looped about a second sprocket F carried by a yoke f which is irmly supported on and carried by the lower end ofthe bracket C. Each of the spits has a'ixed to "one end thereof a sprocket B and v gagement with the slots of the brackets, the

v sprocket is assured during vsprocket on each spit will automatically mesh with one reach of the sprocket chain e as shown. In order to assure proper driving relation, the driving reach of the sprocket l chain e is preferably backed up by a channel member G supported from the bracket C by means of angle pieces g and this channel member precludes the sprocket chain from backing ofi' the sprockets of the respective spits. .A

This arrangement lof chain a-ndsprocket d rive mechanism operates with great eiiciency in practice and .proper cooperation between the driving chain and the spit all adjustments of the brackets -to bringfthe spits closer or further away fromv the fire. It should be understood, however, that the chain and sprocket drive is illustrative only of any equivalent drive'which may be used for this purpose, such, for example, as a worin and worm gear drive showan in Figure 2 of the drawings. The essential feature is that when the splits Iare dropped into the slots, theywill automatically. engage with the dri-ving means A y Extending transversely through the machine in the forward portion thereof is a rock shaftlH, journaled for rotation in the frame and having iXed at its opposite ends a pair of curved arms i, and l1', which are slotted at I, and-I. The slot'I is adapted to embrace a pin i on the bracket C, while the slot I similarly cooperates with a pin z" on the bracket C', so that when the rock shaft is oscillated, the pin and slot connections described will simultaneously effect a pivotal movement of bot-li 'brackets ina directiontoward or away from thefiiredepending upon ,the direction of the oscillation of the rock shaft. This movement of the rock shaft. may be readily provided for by ,extending the arm h in a forward direction as at L2-and .providing the same with a' handle J by means of which pivotal Imovementmay be imparted to the rock shaftfor the purposes stated. By grasping the handle J and raising or lowering the same, both brackets may be moved toward the ire or away from the same as desired to bring the spits into a greater or lesser'proximity to the fire. In this manner, roasts 'on' the spit may .be brought into proper-roasting relation to the' source of heat and the chef is at all times ableto properly control the cooking of the same; -l\ Y The brackets may be locked in any .desired osition iby suitable means such as a latch I pivoted at 1c and having its lower edge serra-ted asshown, sothat it will engage with an extension ofthe pin to hold the bracket C in any one of its several positions..

lWhen the brackets are swung .In the construction shown thelifting ofthe y latch and the holding of the same in raised position will allow all of the spits to swing into close proximity to the source of heat;

by manipulation of the handle lJ, the latch, being 4gravity operated, will automatically lock the parts in` the positions which they occupy when the chef dscontinues the operations of the. handle.

In Figure l of lthe driven, as described, by means of the sprocket chain with which all of the sprockets of the spits are adapted to engage. In Figure 2, a modified form of construction is illustrated. In 'this view aI structure is shown wherein the sprocket B is replaced by a worm gear B2, so that each spit carries a worm gear instead ,of a sprocket gear. Each worm gear B2 is adapted to mesh, when the spit is i-n the machine, with a worm P, and all of these worms are fixed to a common shaft. The upper end of the shaft is rotatably supported in a cylindrical hole in the bottom o-f a bearing block O and vis free to rotate therein,iwhile the lower end ofthis shaft is journallecl for rotation in a. bracket f,hcorre`sponding ,to the bracket f and carried by the part C.

The bearing block O is rotatably supported on a spindle cl2', corresponding to the on which the bracket- C is adapted so that by this construction, the

The shaft N is driven from the prime mover D through bevel'I gears'LandnM,

lwhichare respectively fixed to the prime mover and to the shaft N, so that swinging movement o f the brackets will in -nowise interfere with the drive of the spits.` order to maintain .the gear B2 of each spit in proper driving relation withV its corresponding worm P, each'spit is preferably downwardly drawings,- the spits are.

provided with a pair of collars b, which -preclude longitudinal movement of the spit.

Thespit supporting'means of the present invention is extremely simple in .construe-- tion, may be readily associated with almost any type of rotisserie and is thoroughly. etlicient in the carrying out of its intended'puroses. is that/'which is preferably employed and it The structure shown in the drawings is to be understood that theA invention is susceptible to modifications in details of construction which would naturally follow in the adaptation of the inve-ntionto `ldifferent forms of-rotisserie. Moreover. mechanical parting from the spirit of the invention which is to be understood as broadly novel as commensurate withthe appended claims.

equivalents may be substituted without de' Having thus fully described the invention, what Ivclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A rotisserie embodying a spit, a pair of pivotedbrackets adapted to collectively support the spit for adjustment toward and away from the fire, means for simultaneously pivotally moving both brackets to vary the distance between the spit and the lire, and means for driving the spit irrespective of 'its position with reference to the fire. l

2. A rotisserieembodying a pair of pivoted brackets, a spit rotatively supported by said brackets, means for' pivotally moving both brackets simultaneously to vary the distance between the spit and the fire, a gear on the spit and a drive chain bodily movable with the brackets and adapted to mesh with the gear on the spit irrespective of the position of the brackets with relation to the fire.`

3. A rotisserie embodying a plurality of spits, a. pair of pivoted brackets adapted to demountably support said spits in a position forwardly of the fire, means for pivotally moving the brackets to vary the dis tance between the spits and the fire and driving connections common to all the spits and adapted to rotate the same irrespective of the position of the brackets with relation to the fire. y

4. A rotisserie embodying'a plurality of spits, a pair of pivoted brackets adapted to demonntably support said .spits in a Aposition Iforwardly of the fire.. means for pivotally moving' the-brackets to vary the distance between the spits andfire, a sprocket' on each spit and a drive chainmounted for bodily movement with the brackets and adapted to mesh with all of the spits irre- I spective of the position of the brackets with mon relation to the fire. ,Y

5. vA rotisserie embodying a plurality of spits mounted for simultaneous adjustment in a direction toward and away. from the fire, a drive member on each spit,` and comdriving 'means cooperating with the y drive members of all the spits for effecting rotation of the spits irrespective of their positions relative tothe fire. A

6. In a rotisserie, a plurality of spits, uni- 'tary means' for sul'aporting all of thespits, said means being pivotal, whereby it may be pivotally moved to Ysimultanecuisly bring all the spits closer to the fire or further away from the same.- f A rotisserie embodying a pair of brackets. each of which is pivotally supported at its upper end and eachofl whichembodies means vfor supporting one end-ofa plurality7 of spits. a plurality vof spits each of which is provided on one end with a permanentlyxed sprocket` a rock shaft mounted for oscillation', a pair of curved slotted arms fixed on the rock shaft, pins on the brackets extending through the slots of the curved arms and means for oscillating the rock shaft to operate the curved arms for the purpose of pivotally moving the brackets to varythe distance between the spits and the lire, in combination with an endless 4drive chain, a pair of sprockets about which said chain passes, one of said sprockets be- /ing supported by one of the brackets in a position to maintain the chain in engagement with the sprockets of all of the spits, irrespective ofthe position of the brackets with reference to the fire.

8. A rotisserie embodying a pair of brackets, each of which is pivotally supported at its upper end and each of which embodies means for supporting one end of a plurality of spits` a .plurality of spits each of which lis provided on one end with a permanently fixed sprocket, a rock shaft mounted for oscillation, a pair of curved slotted arms fixed on the rock shaft,- pins on the brackets extending through the slots of the curved arms and means for oscillating the rock shaft to operate the curved arms for the purpose of pivotally moving the brackets to vary the distance between the spits and the fire, in combination with an endless drive-chain, a pair of sprockets about which said chain passes, one oi" said sprockets being supported by one of the brackets in a position to maintain the chain in engagement with the sprockets ot' all of the spits, irrespective of the 'position of the. brackets with reference to the fire, and means for maintaining theibrackets in predetermined positions with reference to the fire.

9. In a rotisserie, apluralityof spits, a

spit supportingframe on which all of thesplts a'remounted, said frame being in turn mounted for movement toward and away from the fire, whereby it may be moved to simultaneously bring all of the spits closer to the fire' or further away from the same', 4a prime mover, and operative connections between the prime mover and the sev eral spits, irrespective of the position of the horizontal position,I at least one spit mount- I yed for horizontal axial rotation on said support, whereby the support may be moved to bring the spit closer to the tire or further away from the same. a prime mover,'and operative connections between the prime mover Land the spit. irrespective of theposition of the support, so that the spit'can be constantly driven while in fixed position -as well as during movement from one position to another. v

111 In a rotisserie, a spit support mounted for pivotal'movementon a horizontal axis toward and away from the fire and adapted to support spitfroin both ends thereof with the spit in a `substantially hori- Zontal position, at least one spit mounted for rotation on s aid`support, whereby the support may be pivotally moved to bring the spit closer .to the fire or further away fro'm thesame, a prime mover, and operative connections between the prime mover and the spit; irrespective of the position of the support, so that the spit can be-voonstantly driven while. in fixed position as well as during movement from one position to another.

12. In a roasting machine of the character described, a pair offrames. arranged adjacent a heating element,'a plurality of spits carried by each of said frames', a power shaft pivo'tally supporting one side of said frame, a plurality of secondary shafts mounted on said frames, a power unit connected to said power shaft,mea'ns transmitting the rotation of said power shaft to said secondary shafts, and means connected to the lower end of each frame for swinging the same to and from said heating element. f

`In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

' MAX SCHEY. 

